Wildlife, Rodent, & Pest Control Services

What is the Bat Blackout Period?

When a colony of bats roosts in your attic, their guano will quickly pile up and cause extensive damage to floors and ceilings. The presence of bats in your home also places your family at risk of rabies transmission. For these reasons, you really don't want bats living under your roof, but there's a catch: Tennessee has a bat blackout period during which bats cannot legally be removed from a home. This blackout period lasts from May 1 until August 1, meaning that for a quarter of the year, intruding bats cannot be evicted from your attic.

Though they can be annoying household pests, bats are an overall beneficial wildlife species that controls populations of mosquitoes and other flying insects in the Knoxville area and beyond. The bat blackout period exists because during summer, mother bats are raising their pups, who are not yet able to fly or survive on their own. If these pups are removed from your safe warm attic, they will die. If the adult bats are excluded from your attic so they cannot care for their pups, they will also die.

If you don't want to risk spending a whole summer with bats living in your attic, it's important to inspect your attic for bat activity in spring. This way, if bats are present, you can have them removed by professionals before the May 1 deadline. It's also recommended to bat-proof your attic by sealing off possible entry points to keep bats from getting inside during the blackout period. Excluding bats from your attic space is always a cheaper option than having them removed and then paying to repair the damage caused by their guano.

Reach out to Critter Wranglers today if you want to learn more about Tennessee's bat blackout period or schedule bat removal services in the Knoxville area!